Displacement pumping system



Oct. 26, 1926. 1,604,421

J. OLIPHANT DISPLACEMENT PUMPING SYSTEM Filed July 6, 1923 Patented Oct. 26, 1926.

Uhli'i tllti JOHN OLIPHAN'I, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SULLIVAN MACHINERY COM- PANY, A CORPQBATION C'F IvIASSACHUSETTS.

DISPLACEMENT PUMPING SYSTEM.

Application filed July 6, 1923.

My invention relates to displacement pumping systems, and more particularly to displacement systems which are especially adapted to deep well pumping.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved pumping mechanism. Another object of my invention is to provide an improved displacement pumping mechanism. A further object of my invention is to provide an improved displacement pumping system in which a plurality of displacement tanks are employed and in which the necessity "for the use of special air controlling means to effect the proper distribution of air to the various tanks is avoided. In displacement pumping systems in which two series of alternately arranged displacement tanks are disposed in a well and so connected that the tanks of one series fill while those of the other series discharge, it is found that in wells of any considerable depth the reduction in pressure in the fluid supply lines leading to the tanks toward the bottom of the well is so substantial that some kind of controlling means must be used in connection with some of the tanks in order to insure the complete filling and emptying of the tanks at or near the bottom of the well. It will be evident that as air is led off from the supply lines at various points between the top and the bottom the pressure at the bottom will naturally be less than that at the top and,

moreover, there will be a loss due to the length of the pipe line. Accordingly, in the tanks towards the bottom the pressure acting may be very much less than that in the tanks at the top and, with a fixed period of fluid admission to the various tanks, it will be evident that, other things being the same, less fluid will be displaced from the lower tanks than from the upper ones. As a result, the system will tend to empty itself and other difliculties will be experienced. To overcome this, it has been customary either to use some kind of fluid controlling means with some of the tanks or to use adjustable throttles so that the rate of admission through the supply line branches to the higher tanks would be reduced by throttling while that of the lower tanks would be either throttled to a less degree or not at all as might be found desirable in practice. I have found however, that these expedients may be avoided. by the proper spacing of the tanks and a further object of my inventifim is Serial No. 649,925".

to provide an improved system in which by the proper spacing of the tanks a piping mechanism of the utmost simplicity may be used. Other objects and advantages of my invention will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown for purposes of illustration one form which my invention may assume in practice.

The figure is a diagrammatic view of a pumping system constructed in accordance with the illustrative form of my invention.

In the illustrative embodiment of my invention a compressor, whose cylinder is shown at 1, supplies pressure through a line 2 to a distributing valve mechanism 3 which is herein shown in elevation and is the invention of one David H. Hunter. This distributing mechanism comprises means for alternately admitting, for periods of substantial duration, air or other pumping fluid to one or the other of two supply lines 5 and 6, this mechanism also serving to connect, while one of these lines is connected to the supply, the other to exhaust or to the suction side of the compressor, (herein the latter). The lines 5 and 6 are the fluid supply lines for the pumping medium supplied to the displacement tanks in the pumping system which I shall now more specifically describe.

Arranged within a well 10 is a casing member 11 which extends from the top of the well down below the level of the water in the bottom of the well. Arrange-d within this casing is a series of displacement tanks, these tanks being arranged in fact in a pair of series, the tanks of the two series being arranged in alternation. The tanks of one of these series are numbered respectively 12, 14 and 16, while those of the other are numbered. 13, 15, and 17. It will, of course, be understood that more than six tanks could be employed if desired and that the number of tanks employ-ed will depend upon the air pressure available and the height to which the fluid must be elevated. Check valve controlled discharge connections 19 connect the bottom of each tank with the tank above it, but as this mechanism is well understood, no illustration is thought to be necessary herein other than the dotted disclosure shown. The pipe line 5 extends down nearly to the bottom of the Well and is connected by branches 20, 21 and. 29; to; the tanks 13, 15

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and 17, respectively. The pipe line 6 does not extend so far down in the well, but is connected by branches 23, 24 and 25 to the tops of tanks 12, 14C and 16, respectively. From this arrangementit will be apparent that When air is supplied to the line while line 6 is connected either to exhaust or to the suction side of the compressor, tanks 13, and 17 will discharge the liquid contained in them to tanks 12, 14: and 16, respectively, while when line 5' is connected to exhaust or the suction side otthe compressor and line 6 is connected to the compressor discharge, tank 12 will discharge to any desired point ofdelivery while tanks 14 and 16 are respectively discharging to tanks 13 and 15, and tank 17 is being filled again due to its sub- Instead of employing throttle means in the connections 20 to 25, I have found thatit is possible by suitably locating the tanks 12 to 17 in the well'to avoid any diffi'culty due to the more rapid pumping of the higher tanks and accordingly, I space the bottom of the tank 12 a maximum distance from the discharge line, space the bottom ofthe tank 13 a lesser distance from the top of the tank 12, and the succeeding tanks progressively closer together so that the distance from the bottom of the tank 17 to the top otthe tank 16 is the least distance of all. For purposes ofsimplicity I have referred to the distances in terms of from the bottom of one tank to the top of the next tank, but in fact the distances should be considered in terms of from the bottom of the discharge line in a given tank to the maximum water level'in the tank next above. It will be evident that as the distance which the liquid must be raised is greatest at the top of the well and is made proportionally less as the pressure drops due to the distance from the compressor and reduction due to withdrawal of air from the line, it'will be possible for all the tanks to be emptied substantially simultaneously and for a uniform pumping period to serve for the filling anddischarging of the various tanks, although they are spaced by materially different distances from the top of the well. This, in brief, is the gist of the invention: that the tanks be so disposed relative to each other that the reduction in pressure toward the bottom of the well will be offset by the reduction in height to which the liquid must be raised by the successive tanks.

lVhile I have in this application specifieally'described one form which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this'torm of the same is shown "for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope otthe appended claims.

V'Vhat I claim asnew and'desire to secure by Letters Patent'is:

1. In a pumping system, a plurality of dis placement tanks arranged in' series in a well, and means con'iprising fluid supply lines con nected to said tanks in alternation ior alternately supplying fluid pressure to said the head against which any tank must discharge is proportional to the air pressure supplied thereto.

In a displacement pumping system, a plurality of displaeen'ient tanks arranged in series in a well, the distances between said tanks diminishing toward the bottom of the well, and means for conducting pumping fluid to said tanks.

4:. In a displacement pumping system, aplurality of displacement tanks arranged in series in a well, and pumping fluid supply means in said well connected with said tanks, said tanks each having a check valve controlled discharge line leading therefrom, and said tanks being so disposed in said well that the distance from the bottom 01" any such discharge line to the highest level to which it must discharge is proportional to the pressure'o't the pumping fluid at its respective tanks.

5.Ii1 apumping system, a plurality of serially arranged displacement tanks, means for supplying actuating fluid thereto from a point remote from the lowermost tank, and means including a plurality of elements having a predeterminedfixed relation whereby the time necessary for the substantially complete discharge from each of a plurality of said tanks will be substantially equal.

6. In a pumping system, a plurality of tanks, a common fluid conducting passage communicating freely with each 01" said tanks, and fixed means adapted to compensate tor the drop in pressure in said supply line due to each tank successively drawing its supply of fluid therefrom and thereby insuring a substantially uniform operation of said tanks.

7. In a pumping system, a plurality of tanks, a common supply pipe therefor, said tanks successively drawinr their supplies of actuating fluid from said pipe, and a plurality of liquid conducting means otdiiierent lengths and arranged with respect to said tanks to overcome the drop in pressure in said supply line to thereby insure substantially uniform operation of said tanks.

8. In a pumping system, a plurality of superimposed displacement tanks adapted to be arranged within a. well, means whereby actuating fluid is freely admitted to each of said tanks under a different pressure, and means compensating for said different pressures to insure that similar operations of said tanks Will be substantially uniform.

9.111 a pumping system, a plurality of displacement tanks adapted to be arranged in a Well, means for freely supplying actuating fluid to each of the same under different pressures, and means whereby certain like liquid content changes in said tanks are made substantially uniform.

10. In a pumping system, a plurality of superimposed displacement tanks, a single source of actuating fluid therefor, means whereby the actuating fluid is admitted to each of said tanks at a different pressure than at said source to thereby insure that certain similar operations of said tanks Will be substantially uniform, the uppermost tank freely receiving substantially full initial pressure.

11. In a pumping system, a plurality of superimposed displacement tanks, a single source of actuating fluid therefor, means whereby the actuating fluid is admitted to each of said tanks at a different pressure than at said source, and means including liquid conducting elements of different lengths to thereby insure that certain similar operations of said tanks Will be substantially uniform.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN OLIPHANT. 

